Gyeonggi Province has announced that an eco-friendly premium residential complex will be built in West Pangyo (Seopangyo) in the Seongnam and Pangyo areas. The newly built residential complex will stand apart from existing residential complexes through its maximization of the use of natural slopes.

The innovatively designed complex will be built in harmony with the natural environment. World-renowned foreign and domestic architects jointly participated in the design of the complex in an attempt to develop a low-density residential complex model that clearly differs from existing apartment complexes.

Korea’s residential buildings have typically been built on artificially-made flat ground, ignoring the geographical features of Korea and leveling slopes through large-scale construction. These artificially built foundations have resulted in residential spaces that seem alienated from nature. A model for eco-friendly living spaces, the residential complex to be built in Seopangyo was designed as a complex of houses, with terraces that maximize the value of the land. The sloped ground was considered not as a disadvantage to be removed but as an advantage, and the complex was designed in a manner that adapted it to the natural environment. Construction of the complex will begin in May 2008, and the completed residential spaces will be released for sale to the public in September 2008.

A total of 300 houses, 98 of which will be designed by Pekka Helin of Finland, 100 of which will be designed by Yamamoto Riken of Japan, and 102 of which will be designed by Mark Mack of the US, will be released. The residential complex will be built as a low-density, eco-friendly living space. All buildings will be built as 4-story or lower buildings, with a 65% floor space index. The area of each house will range from 109 to 207m2, which means that all of the houses in the complex are medium-to-large sized houses. The houses will be released in 30 types, giving a wide range of options to prospective residents. Independent entry to each house and duplex and bungalow options are provided, guaranteeing the independence of the houses as detached houses.

The residential complex to be built in Seopangyo was designed in an eco-friendly way that adapts to the natural environment, and its bold and innovative design concept will contribute to Korea’s residential culture by making a clean break from the standardized apartment culture of the nation, and diversifying and globalizing living spaces and community culture. Gyeonggi Province will analyze the responses of residents, and actively promote the development of similar types of residential complexes in the future if resident satisfaction is high.